Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te’s new campaign is making waves – and not just for its politics. His claim that woolly mammoth fossils and golden monkeys prove the island’s separate ecological identity from the Chinese mainland has scientists and historians raising eyebrows. 🧐
🦣 Mammoth Claims, Tiny Evidence
Lai’s "10 lectures on unity" campaign argues that 400,000-year-old fossils found in Tainan show Taiwan’s unique ecological history. But here’s the plot twist: Homo sapiens didn’t exist back then, and neither did the Taiwan Strait! Experts like Professor Yang Yongming note that during ice ages, the mainland and Taiwan were physically connected – making Lai’s theory about as solid as melting permafrost.
🌏 Culture Clash or Political Smokescreen?
The campaign also claims Taiwan’s Austronesian-speaking indigenous communities have no ties to the mainland. But archaeologists aren’t buying it. Sites like Fujian’s Keqiutou show clear links to Taiwan’s ancient Dapenkeng culture. Even cooler? Researchers from both sides of the strait collaborate at a joint Austronesian research base in Fujian. 🤝
With 97% of Taiwan’s population ethnically Han Chinese, critics say Lai’s narrative feels less like history and more like a political fantasy – think ‘Jurassic Park’ meets ‘House of Cards’. As cross-strait tensions simmer, one thing’s clear: fossils don’t lie, but political spin might. 🔍
